Kael walked calmly down the narrow road, the landscape around him slowly changing as he moved farther away from the dense dark forest. The soft evening breeze brushed against his face, and he could smell the fresh earth mixed with the aroma of the surrounding trees. The sun was low on the horizon, casting a golden glow that illuminated the path ahead. The road he had chosen, though a bit longer, promised to take him to a city where he could rest in an inn, recover his strength, and stock up on supplies before continuing his journey.
"So, with this, I’ll get there, rest, buy some supplies, and... ah, I don’t know, see what happens," Kael said quietly, more to himself than to Umbra, who floated beside him, looking more distracted as if absorbing the energy of the landscape. She had become quieter in the last few hours, which gave Kael a temporary relief from the chaotic interactions they had shared earlier.
"I guess we won’t find anything interesting here, huh?" Kael continued, still looking at the road ahead. "Fortunately, I’m not in danger right now, after everything. I just... need a rest and, who knows, maybe some more answers. I’m not gonna do anything crazy."
"You never do anything crazy, Kael. You think you’re gonna stay calm?" Umbra replied, her voice curious and filled with restrained amusement. "A guy like you always ends up in trouble, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. Hahaha!"
Kael chuckled softly, not really disagreeing. He was trying to keep things calm, at least for a while. The journey so far had been full of surprises, and he needed a moment to digest everything.
As he approached a small forest ahead, the environment around him began to change. The trees grew denser, and the sunlight became dimmer as the path narrowed. Kael didn’t worry too much about it, thinking the forest wasn’t big enough to pose a problem, but as soon as he took a few steps toward the forest entrance, a thick log suddenly fell in front of him, blocking the way.
He stopped abruptly, surprised by the unexpected obstruction. Before he could react or even take a step back, a deep, authoritative voice echoed from the shadows surrounding the forest:
"STOP! DON’T MOVE!"
Kael froze for a second, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness, scanning for any movement. The tension in the air was palpable. The sound of leaves being stepped on and ropes stretching echoed through the forest. He quickly realized what was happening: they were bandits, armed and waiting to surround him.
"Hmm, how about this, huh?" Kael murmured with a sardonic smile, not moving. He could feel his energy being channeled, but he wasn’t afraid. "Guess the calm was too good to last."
"You’re either brave... or stupid," said a rough voice from one side, followed by muffled laughs. "Let’s see if you’re still like that when we have a little fun with you."
Kael observed the shadows around him, trying to assess how many there were and how they were positioned. Umbra, on the other hand, seemed more entertained, her laughter echoing in his mind.
"This is what you call fun, Kael?" Umbra teased, leaning closer to his head. "Looks more like a beginner’s game. Are you really gonna get this far just to fall into the hands of some pathetic bandits? Hehe."
"I heard what you said," Kael spoke calmly, still not moving. He had already analyzed the sounds of the voices around him, sensing the group of bandits closing in, trying to encircle him. He wasn’t surprised, but he knew he needed to act fast to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
"Now, as I said, drop the bag!" The man who had spoken earlier suddenly appeared, stepping out of the shadows with a short sword in hand, pointing it threateningly at Kael. He wore a dark cloak, and his gaze was calculating and menacing. "I’ll only say it once!"
Kael, with a slight smile on his face, looked at the man, then in a swift motion, adjusted the backpack on his back. "You know," he began, "today’s not exactly a good day to try to rob someone. Especially not when you’re about to do it to someone like me."
"Silence!" The bandit growled, advancing with a fierce expression. "The last thing you’re going to do now is talk!"
Kael didn’t move. He watched the bandit approach, his eyes adjusting to calculate the distance and the right moment.
Suddenly, the sound of breaking branches and the stretching of chains came from behind him. Kael turned slightly to see another bandit coming from the side, with a bow and arrow aimed directly at him.
"This isn’t going to end well for you, kid," the bandit with the bow said with a malicious grin, confident that he was about to catch his prey off guard. He adjusted the position of the bow, the arrow ready to be fired, his eyes fixed on Kael, anticipating the moment of victory.
Kael, however, didn’t seem at all intimidated. His eyes gleamed with an almost terrifying calmness. With a swift motion, he raised his hand, and a strong, cutting gust of wind formed around him, pushing the trees and leaves into the air, sending the archer bandit flying backward. The wind sliced through the atmosphere with a deafening sound, and the man was thrown to the ground, his arrow missing its mark completely.
"I’m not worried," Kael murmured to himself, his calm tone contrasting with the strength of his magic. "You guys are a bunch of idiots anyway..." he said inaudibly, his eyes fixed on the remaining bandits, but a sly smile formed on his lips.
The bandit with the bow, stunned and thrown to the ground, tried to rise, but Kael had already dealt the fatal blow. In a nearly imperceptible movement, the man’s head was ripped from his body, the cutting wind blade emerging from Kael’s hand like a sharp blade of steel.
[You have obtained a Rank E soul.]
The sound of the lifeless body hitting the ground echoed through the forest. The other bandits, realizing what had happened, froze, their eyes wide with terror. Fear overtook them. "A MAGE!" one of the bandits shouted, and panic spread rapidly among them. What had once been an intimidating scene turned into a field of despair. They hadn’t imagined they would encounter an opponent with such abilities.
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Kael looked at the remaining bandits, his eyes now colder, his expression unchanged. He was already calculating the next move, deciding what to do with the ones still there. "Looks like you guys didn’t learn anything, huh?" he said softly.
The bandits tried to rush forward, but before they could make any move, Kael extended his hands to the ground, and his shadows rose and spread like dark mist. The shadows coiled around them, forming chains and running like snakes around the bandits’ legs and arms, holding them in place.
"This will be quick," Kael said, his voice as calm as death. He pointed his hands at the prisoners, and his shadows squeezed tighter, immobilizing them. They struggled, but it was futile. The shadows were strong and formed an impenetrable prison.
Suddenly, a cutting gust of wind sliced through the air once more. Kael’s wind blades flew, slicing with deadly precision. Each bandit was struck, the cuts tearing through their throats and bodies with silent violence. The sound of bodies hitting the ground was the only thing left after the massacre.
With the same calm smile, Kael watched the fallen bodies around him, the remains of a bandit gang that dared to challenge him.
"Now, where’s my reward, hmm?" Kael murmured to himself, looking around at the shadows and feeling the energy of the souls he had just collected.
Umbra, who had watched the entire scene, laughed with a touch of satisfaction. "They usually say that when you kill a human, you feel horrible and all that stupid stuff... but you seem just fine?"
"What’s the difference between killing a monster and a human? They’re both the same," Kael questioned.